The invention relates to a method for operation of a radio-controlled clock, comprising a quartz-controlled clock and a time signal receiver which receives a time signal for synchronizing the quartz-controlled clock, in which the radio-controlled clock is connected in a common array with an additional device which can have several operating states and which generates a strong interference field in a first operating state and a reduced or non-existent field in a second operating state.
Radio-controlled clocks are generally supplied with a time signal for instance by the transmitter DCF-77 of Germany's Physikalisch-technische Bundesanstalt. A first type of radio-controlled clock receives the time signal continuously and always displays the received time. A second type of radio-controlled clock synchronizes an autonomously operating, quartz-controlled clock periodically with the time signal. Small, battery-operated radio-controlled clocks in particular work according to the second principle for energy-saving reasons. Synchronization of the internal clock mechanism with the time signal takes place typically in the early hours of the morning and every 24 hours, and is independent of other factors such as the reception quality of the time signal or the strength of the interference fields prevailing in the environment.
It is furthermore known that many electronic units in the field of signal generation or signal processing generate interference fields that disturb or render impossible other functions in the same unit or the functions of equipment standing in close vicinity. This type of interference field prohibits the operation of radio-controlled clocks in equipment such as personal computers (PCs), television sets, video recorders etc. When operating equipment of this type, reception of the time signal is only possible after very high technical expenditure.